ISLAMABAD: Pakistani cybercrime investigators detained a suspect and seized potentially dangerous chemicals after the FBI flagged an artificial intelligence user researching lethal materials, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) said on Thursday.

The case offers a rare public account of cross-border law enforcement action prompted by a user’s activity on an AI platform. The agency did not identify the application, explain how the activity came to the FBI’s attention or disclose what the suspect allegedly intended to do.

“The FBI flagged a suspicious AI user who was researching lethal material, and the alert reached the NCCIA through the ministry of foreign affairs,” the NCCIA, Pakistan’s federal cybercrime body, said in a statement, adding that its Lahore office opened an inquiry after receiving the alert.

Investigators from its open-source intelligence team used digital tracing techniques and information from the National Database and Registration Authority, Pakistan’s national identification body, to identify the suspect and locate him in the eastern city of Bahawalpur, the statement said.

NCCIA officers subsequently obtained a search warrant and conducted a raid, taking the suspect into custody.

“A mobile phone and suspected dangerous chemicals were recovered, while evidence relating to the relevant AI application was also found on the device,” the agency said.

The statement identified the suspect as Shayan Ali but provided no information about his age. Local reports have described him as a minor, which Arab News could not independently verify.

The NCCIA said its intervention had saved a life and prevented a “major tragedy,” but it did not identify the person allegedly at risk or provide details of any planned attack.

The agency also did not disclose the substances recovered, whether they had undergone forensic testing or whether investigators had established that they could be used to cause death or serious injury.

No information was provided about the date of the operation, the criminal charges being considered or whether the suspect had been presented before a court. There was also no immediate public confirmation of the alert from the FBI or Pakistan’s foreign ministry.

The case raises questions about how AI companies identify potentially dangerous user activity and when such information can be shared with domestic or foreign law enforcement agencies.

The NCCIA said its investigation was continuing and urged members of the public to report suspected cybercrime through its national helpline.